Yankees Trade Chad Qualls to Pirates for Casey McGehee

Update: To replace Qualls on the roster, it looks like the Yankees are activating Joba Chamberlain earlier than anticipated for tonight's game. Ramiro Pena will probably be sent down after tonight's game to make room for McGehee.

Yes, they actually got someone with a pulse that might be useful AND cash for mop reliever Chad Qualls! Don't believe me?

Got 2d confirm, #Yankees did get McGehee for Qualls

#Yankees getting $225,000 as part of trade to cover some of about $1M left on McGehee's deal. #Pirates giving back some $$ got for Burnett.

Throughout the afternoon of Trade Deadline Day, the main story involving the Yankees was that they might be in on now-Rangers starter Ryan Dempster. The Cubs' pitcher was far from a need as the Yankees' rotation is full even with capable starter David Phelps in the bullpen and Andy Pettitte on the Disabled List. No one in the Twitterverse even mentioned this deal until shortly after the deadline, when Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported it, then confirmed it (as seen above).

Casey McGehee is almost exactly what the Yankees were looking to add, and the fact that they were able to get him in exchange for the worst pitcher on their roster makes it even better. McGehee is a righthanded hitting corner infielder who turns 30 in October, and he's hit .230/.297/.377 with a wRC+ of 83. Those overall numbers aren't very impressive, but he's hit .250/.344/.463 with a wRC+ of 119 against lefthanded pitchers. That's the key; while Alex Rodriguez recovers, he lefty Eric Chavez will likely hit against righties and McGehee will likely hit against lefties. McGehee's mostly been playing first base with the Buccos, but in his previous four years with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was almost exclusively a third baseman with an average glove (career UZR/150 of -1.0 at the hot corner). Well played, Brian Cashman. He is still a ninja with his tendency to pull off surprise deals like this one and last week's Ichiro Suzuki trade.

I don't know what exactly the Pittsburgh Pirates see in Qualls's 2012 performance (38.2 innings, 4.89 ERA, 5.27 FIP, 85 ERA+ combined with the Yankees and Phillies), and if I were a Pirates fan (like Pat Lackey of "Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke), I would not be pleased that they acquired him. It's not as though a change in leagues is likely to help him, as he was already struggling in the National League earlier in 2012 with the Phillies.